Neighbors tend to 3-year-old, other victims after Jamesport crash

Three people, including a 3-year-old girl, were injured in a head-on collision in Jamesport Saturday, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Riverhead police said.

John Cain, 72, of Jamesport was driving a 2007 Dodge pickup truck northbound on Manor Lane when his vehicle crossed the roadway and struck a southbound Subaru Forester about 10 a.m. near a curve just north of Fox Lane on Manor Lane, police said.

“It was one of those skids, where you don’t want to hear the crash at the end,” said Ed Lucas.

He and his wife, Joanne, who live near the crash scene, rushed to the street immediately and tended to the little girl, identified as Ella Giles, and her mom, Rebecca, who were both still inside the SUV.

They comforted the girl and her shaken mother until emergency responders arrived.

“The baby pointed across her chest where the five-point seat belt would be,” Ms. Lucas said. “She started developing bruises under her arms and she had blood coming from her mouth. By the time the paramedics arrived, her lips were all swollen.

“She was very coherent and the mother was very calm,” she continued. “I suspect [the mother] was in shock because she had a hard time getting in contact with her husband and was going in and out of even knowing her child was there.”

“Someone wanted to take the little girl out of the car, ” Mr. Lucas added, “but we knew we should wait for the paramedics to arrive.”

Ms. Lucas also rushed to get a towel to help tend to Mr. Cain, whose head struck the window and was bleeding profusely, Mr. Lucas said.

“He had a major horse-shoe shaped gash going across his forehead…” he said. “He hit the windshield hard. He was bleeding so profusely… It was like watching a pot of water boil waiting for the paramedics, but they were very fast”

Mr. Cain was airlifted from the scene to Stony Brook University Medical Center and two others, and the mom and her daughter were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead for treatment, police and the witnesses said.

“From what I understand one of the vehicles crossed into the other lane,” said Jamesport Fire Department Chief Harold “Duffy” Griffiths. “We had to use the Jaws of Life [extraction tool] briefly to cut a gear shift out of the way” of the SUV.

“This is a very dangerous part of the road and people just fly down it,” Ms. Lucas said.

It was not immediately known what caused Mr. Cain to swerve into oncoming traffic.

Both cars were impounded for safety checks.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Riverhead police detectives at 727-4500, ext. 328.

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